Toronto FC vs. Austin FC: What you need to know

Two weeks after a disappointing loss to D.C. United at home, Toronto FC is back in action this week when it hosts Western Conference outfit Austin FC.

TFC is just barely hanging on to a playoff berth and can ill afford to drop any points, especially at home. That's why Saturday's game is so important against Austin, who also finds itself in a very tight battle for a post-season spot in the West.

"We have to take care of business at home. That goes without saying. The fans [and] everyone knows this should be our fortress. And we have to make a commitment that it's not a 55-, 60-minute showing. We have to be there whistle to whistle and fight with everything we've got to take three points," coach John Herdman said after Friday's practice.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday's contest between Toronto and Austin FC at BMO Field (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV & TSN). 

Toronto FC and the playoff picture

Toronto FC (10-15-3, 33 points) currently sits eighth and holds down the second-last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. If the regular season ended today, it would host ninth-place D.C. United in a first-round wild card match at BMO Field. But TFC's grip on a playoff berth can be described as tenuous at best. 

All seven teams directly below them in the table in the East are within seven points and five of those sides have at least one game in hand. In the case of the New England Revolution, it has two games in hand.  

Toronto only has six matches left on its schedule, including a tough road trip to Denver for a date with the Colorado Rapids where they'll not only have to overcome playing at altitude but also one of the best sides in the Western Conference. 

Beyond that, three of Toronto's four home matches are against MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls and Inter Miami. They occupy three of the top four places in the East table, and each have already earned wins in MLS against Toronto this season – the Reds lost to the trio of clubs by a combined score of 10-1. Miami also defeated TFC in the round of 32 in the Leagues Cup. 

"It's an important game [vs. Austin]. We know what's at stake, we know we're fighting. But we're embracing it. When you look at the bigger picture, from where we've come from last year to now, to be in this position, I think this is a positive. We'd much rather be in this fight than not in a fight at all. We gotta look at it that way," captain Jonathan Osorio said on Friday.

"It's crunch time. To me, this is what football is about. This is what really shows who's [up] for the big games and these fights."

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'Herdman: We have to fight right until the end, every man'

Toronto FC went into the recent international break on a sour note thanks to a disappointing effort in a 3-1 home loss to D.C. United on Aug. 31. 

"Looking [back], I think we just hit a wall [after 55 minutes] ... We just hit a wall and it wasn't until [making] a couple subs that we managed to get a bit more of the momentum back. That's a critical piece; we have to fight right until the end, every man. We have to make the right decisions to get the right people on the pitch at the right time and be really clear on our tactical identity through our home performances," John Herdman said on Friday

Herdman had some stern words for his players when speaking to reporters after the game, feeling his team looked complacent and lacked urgency. He talked about going back to the drawing board during the team’s time off, whipping his players back in physical and mental shape, and creating competition for places within the team. He also hinted that there could be lineup changes when the Reds face Austin FC. 

Herdman has been pleased with the response from his players in training the last two weeks after laying down that challenge following the loss to D.C.

"It took a day to just get through that and get them reset to compete, and I think the competition has been healthy. The lads have been showing their commitment to what this club has set for its target, which is to make sure we make the playoffs. There's been a fight there. There's been an intensity," Herdman said.

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Injury report for TFC: Coello ready to go, Long sidelined

Alonso Coello is ready to come back for Toronto FC after a lengthy injury layoff.

Last weekend, the Spanish midfielder played 45 minutes before being subbed out at the start of the second half of TFC 2's penalty shootout loss in MLS NEXT Pro. Coello had been sidelined since picking up a hamstring injury in a 3-0 road loss to the New York Red Bulls on June 22. Coello, 24, has one goal and two assists 19 MLS appearances (15 starts) this season for Toronto.

Midfielder Brandon Servania could also see minutes on Saturday. He's been out of action since suffering a knee injury last September. In recent weeks, he's been an unused substitute in a few games and came on as a second half substitute for TFC 2 away to Atlanta United 2 in MLS NEXT Pro on Aug. 11.

John Herdman confirmed that veteran centre back Kevin Long picked up a hamstring tweak in training last week which has ruled him out for Saturday. Herdman said the hope is that Long will be available for next week's game vs. the Columbus Crew.

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A quick look at Austin FC

Austin (9-11-7) sits 11th in the Western Conference, two spots and two points behind Minnesota United who hold down the final playoff berth in the West. The Texas-based club has just one win in its last five MLS matches with three losses, including a 1-0 home defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Aug. 31 in its last outing.  

Argentinian DP Sebastián Driussi and Colombian winger Jáder Obrian lead the team in scoring this season with five goals apiece, while Finnish midfielder Alex Ring is the side's top playmaker with seven assists. American goalkeeper Brad Stuver has started all 27 games during the 2024 campaign and is tied for fourth in the league with seven clean sheets.  

Austin's roster features former TFC centre back Matt Hedges. Saturday's game marks his return to BMO Field for the first time since being traded to Austin last summer. The Texas-based made a series of new signings over the summer, bringing in Ghanaian winger Osman Bukari (from Red Star Belgrade), Danish fullback Mikkel Desler (from Toulouse FC) and Ukrainian centre back Oleksandr Svatok (from SC Dnipro-1). 

"They're a different team to what they were before Bukari and Desler. You can see those two players have made a big difference. Bukari has that 'Bernardeschi factor' ... He's made a big game changer. And Desler's quality around him at fullback has really strengthened that right side. So, for us, we have to pay attention to that defensively," John Herdman said. 

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What happened last time between Toronto and Austin

These teams have only met once before: TFC was shut out in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Austin at Q2 Stadium on May 20, 2023, when Gyasi Zardes scored in injury time. TFC were severely short-handed and were missing 10 players, including Lorenzo Insigne who didn’t make the trip to Texas due to a foot injury. 

In the post-game press conference, Italian DP Federico Bernardeschi went on a rant in which he questioned coach Bob Bradley's tactical approach. 

“We don’t play. We play long pass[es]. We don’t have ideas to play. I'm proud of my team... But unfortunately, we [lost] the game again, and this for me is not good,” Bernardeschi said. 

He added: “Sincerely, this city, the fans, everybody [doesn’t] deserve this. I think maybe we need to change something. We need a little bit more tactics. We need an idea [of] how we play because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible [to] play like this when we play without [an] idea. This is the big, big problem for me.” 

This weekend's match is the only meeting of the regular season between the clubs. 

What's next for Toronto FC

TFC returns to action when they host the Columbus Crew next Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/Apple TV & TSN).

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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